Djam Leelii

Sudanese Dispatch/Grateful dead

This is what I came here for. Absolutely beautiful. Sounds totally fresh.

What an awful racket. Truly, truly awful. No thanyou very much - not sure how this rvrn got on the list.

Exceedingly pleasant and begging for me to spend more time with it.

Música africana. Me ha aburrido, bastante rollo. Un 2.

It was certainly a journey - an incredibly unique one. All in all I think the good balances out with the fact that I’ve never really heard much like it

I thought this was pretty great. Easily lost in the music, the driving percussion and slices of field recordings, the dueling rhythms created by the 2 guitars seemingly slipping in and out of sync, and the hypnotic impassioned vocal performances—as much a history, for me, of Senegalese music as a melding with modern recording techniques of the era. I thought it was a little long until I found out the last 4 tracks on Spotify were only added with the re-release. This would be amazing to see live.

Well shit. This is so, SO good. We had a 1993 Baaba Maal album a few months ago, and this is a clear precursor to that one’s high-tech, larger-than-life jams. This one, I feel like it was just tracked by great musicians in a room together. And it’s SO compelling. I can’t get over how expressive Baaba Maal’s voice is. I wish I could understand the language, but even without it it’s just arresting. Let’s talk groove, though… this grooves like NOTHING else. This is some crazy shit!! “Muudo Hormo,” that is my favorite track of the entire year so far. So sly. It starts in this totally pretty, folk pastoral, style, and gradually speeds until it’s this infectious JAM. I was dancing all over my house listening to this. Couldn’t stop. Even now as I’m listening to it a fourth time. It just has this sweet, beautiful, yet joyful quality. I can’t remember the last time a song compelled me to dance so JOYFULLY. This is a beautiful thing. Do I detect a tiny hint of prog influence? Just in the way some of the guitars are played, recorded. Those super bright DI acoustics, we call that sound “cheap” in America. I’m starting to really, really like it. I don’t mind the long runtime at all! The bonus tracks were some of my favorites. Really, that balafon player should win an award. It’s criminal that this music is so overlooked here in America. I want to go to the places where it’s celebrated, where it’s danced to. 5/5

Too weird for me

I found it very calming with its repetitive sounds and chants. I’m glad I was introduced to this album through this project. I enjoyed it.

This album sucks. I honestly tried, but this doesn’t have the heart and excitement of a Fela Kuti outing. And that has become my gold standard for international records. Sorry Baaba, but we’re just not compatible, you and I.

So unique, very good fun

Perfectly fine for the most part. But I guess I couldn’t get a wrangle on what made it great. As an outsider it felt like one long song stretched across the entire record. Nothing was specifically bad but I can’t see myself ever listening again. 2.5/5

Liked it (except one song.) Would have liked it even more if I could have understood the lyrics. Never would’ve heard of this without the 1001 list, it worked again. (2.3*s)

I finally feel like this is what 1001 is for as it's pretty unlikely I would have heard this album otherwise. I really liked it, like a lot. Great listen all the way through. Worldly, tribal, traditional, chanting, energetic, relaxing, it has it all. The songs are beautiful and the whole project is mesmerizing. Check out Tinariwen if you're into this.

Only 1001 will bring this to me and I thank the list. Been starving for some worldly music that I never would have come across otherwise. I was hypnotized by the music on my drive home. Baabal fits in nicely with the rhythmic lull of Mansour's strumming. I do think that Mansour carries this album but I can't really say without giving other Maal works a listen yet. I enjoyed side A more than B but good one overall.

What a unique pleasant treat. Easily the most surprising listen thus far. Didn't expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. Can't say I've ever been exposed to Senegalese music to my knowledge before. I wish have could have understood the lyrics. Even despite the barrier the songs are all relatively enjoyable. 2.8 stars

Ok background music but nothing that excites me.

It's perfectly listenable, I understand about the same amount of lyrics as when I listen to music in English, but it still didn't work for me. Neither as background music - too annoying for that, nor as regular music - too repetitive. And yes, I would still prefer to have more albums like this on the list

Everything just blends together after a while

Honestly this dragged on so long I just stopped listening. It was fine as a passive listen, but not as an active one.

Man this was fun. Outside the normal scope of albums I get. Just good chill vibes. Love the arrangements of not often heard instruments.

Loved it! Unique sound. Great rhythms. I’m a sucker for albums that aren’t in English

Extraordinarily beautiful. I loved the melodies, harmonies, instrumentation all the way through. Spotify calls Baaba Maal an "epic storyteller" making me regret that I don't understand the lyrics.

Pretty good

Aí, sim, a lista me ajudou a conhecer música nova e prosseguir escutando mais discos africanos.

Not my thing. To slow and same sounding. I respect it but wont listen to it again. 4/10

"Pretty" music but the voice is unbearable. That twangy whine that Indian and Middle Eastern music often has is just grating to me.

1989, Senegalese music As world music goes, it isn't bad. Not something I'd listen much to in the future but I am glad I got the chance to hear it. The music is much better than the voice.... 3/5

Pretty good world music. I would listen to this again. Very chilled out.

Enjoyable but I didn’t notice when it ended.

Another Baab Maal album within one week, low chances! I liked this way more than the Lam Toro one. This was much more interesting, and each song differed more from each other. I found some songs that I thought was decent. Solid 3 from me!

Second Baaba Maal album in a week, figures! I thought this was an ok listen as background music. It's a bit long but it was nice to listen to while working. It was cool but nothing special for me personally. A weak 3.

Beautiful guitar interplay and vocals. Another album/musician on buy list, thanks to this site. :-)

Hørte bare litt men det var jo kult

A wonderful and magically fun album that hits all the right spots when needed, but FUCK is it long. Yes it is. 4/5

Shoutout Senegal but my Western mind can not comprehend the length of this project.

instrumentals were nice but i couldn't get past the vocals

would be better without the singing.

This is a really cool, expansive, worldly album that could be a great introduction to non-western music for new listeners. It's just not my cup of tea. The repetition wares me down after a while. And that's just personal preference. I like changes in music, and this tends to stay pretty stagnant throughout. That said, I really dug the guitar work throughout, and would absolutely vibe to this on a chill night around a fire with some friends.

I love records like this for their ability to transport the listener and transform even the most mundane of life’s experiences.

It was ok, but not great. I actually like the meditative repetitive aspect to the music. But I've heard other albums and artists from west Africa that seemed more engaging to me

Beautiful production, singing, and musicianship. Hard to suggest repeat listening.wuth repetitive nature if songs.

not something i would ever listen to on my own, but it was an interesting listen

This album sounds really clean and modern despite being recorded in 1984. I love the way the guitars sound on this album. My only complaint is that it goes on for a little too long, but it is great background music.

This album is really well recorded and features some talented guitar music and vocals that sound like a very good muezzin - which, to be clear, is a compliment, as I've always thought that muezzins sounded really cool. I don't know enough about this style of music to really say much more other than that I enjoyed listening to it, but probably won't listen again.

One of the things that this list has given me a lot more appreciation for is the incredible quality of some of the music coming out of Africa. This album is no exception. The songs are all well-crafted, with great instrumentals and vocals. It reminded me of Songhoy Blues in a lot of ways, and I would not be surprised to learn that Djam Leelii was a big influence on them 4/5

This just wasn't very special to me. It sounded droning and monotonous, and the guitar was usually out of tune to my ears. If I understood the language, maybe I'd have gotten more out of it, but this wasn't even enjoyable as background music.

Those first few bars had me. I love this type of sound - not quite desert blues in the Ali Farka Toure mode, but pretty close in places. That guitar and then when the kora kicks in (yes, that's not all guitar you know...) This might be better in its original eight track package (although Kettodee is one of my favourite tracks). But it's pretty darned good anyway. I must have first heard Baaba Male on the old Andy Kershaw world music show on Radio 3. Not that it was really world music - just whatever Andy felt like playing really. Miss that show; there's not really been anything like it since and it made Sunday nights special. Tossing up between a 4 and a 5. Assume the shorter, eight track version and then add a point for not being in English anyway and it's a 5 from me. More non-English music please.

Didn’t understand a word of it but surprisingly liked this album. Lots of catchy songs

I liked the music quite a bit, but the album was way too long

Solid background music. Would never have known about this but I found it enjoyable and unique. Felt a bit long/overstayed its welcome a bit however.

Sounded fine! Nothing really connected with me. I didn't mind it at all, but I don't plan to return to it ever.

Boring African guitar music with whiny voice

Not my jam but what a jam

The singers voice was very nice but not at all my style of music

For me it was ok for background music.

Lam Tooro 3.2 Loodo 3 Muudo Hormo 3 Salminanam 3 Maacina Tooro 3 Djam Leelii 3.1 Bibbe Leydy 3 Sehilam 3.1 Kettojee 3 Ko Wone Mayo 2.9 Daane Lenol 3 Taara 3 3.025

The description says he is a storytelling musician and i can feel a bit of blues influence which is a story driven music style... Unfortually i don't understand a word that's being sung so i can only review the music which is really nice to have in the background. It really transports you to another place.

A pleasant surprise. Nice and relaxing listen 3/5

Fun to hear new music, wish it wasn’t so long and repetitive tho.

01) Lam Tooro - 6,5 02) Loodo - 6,5 03) Muudo Hormo - 6,5 04) Salminanam - 7,0 05) Maacina Tooro - 6,5 06) Djam Leelii - 7,0 07) Bibbe Leydy - 6,0 08) Sehilam - 6,0 09) Kettodee - 6,5 10) Ko Wone Mayo - 6,5 11) Daande Lenol - 6,0 12) Taara - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,38 (64/100) I like it when non-English language artist appears because there IS good music and there are good albums outside of the English speaking world. This one is a very pleasant ambient music with some nice guitar playing. It makes a great background music while working or driving. After a few songs it tends to get a bit repetitive, but it's still a nice listen.

No esperaba escuchar en mi vida música de Senegal

Estaba bien, quizá nunca más lo vuelva a escuchar gracias 1001albumsgenerator

It's easy to listen too and get into a trance.

amazing

Bastante rollo. Pero me ha gustado una canción, Kettodee. Así que se libra del 1.

Extremely relaxing, almost hypnotic. You could meditate to this.

My favorite part was when there was no singing.

im darth maul

This list needs more anglo centrism.

The perfect music for coming home late after a flight 🙏 Very enjoyable

Mega chill

Loved the guitar in this

A very unique fusion piece that blends traditional Senegalese music with some western flavors, pulling instruments from both. The album features clean and snappy guitar riffing, traditional percussion elements, and piercing vocals, mixed into long, droning, sometimes pulsating tracks. It can be tough for the western mind to step outside of our musical normality and appreciate other approaches to melody, rhythm, phrasing, and instrumentation, so I challenged myself to enjoy the album as intended by the musicians, not as I wanted to hear as a typical American music listener. I appreciated the artists’ exploration of genres and the novelty of folk influences I had not heard before, but by the end of the album I was also ready to be done. I think listening to the original 8-track release (instead of the 12-track remaster on Spotify) would have been a gentler introduction to Maal and Seck. Stand out tracks include “Muudo Hormo” and “Djam Leelii”.

Yeah, could have gone my life without listening to this one. 2 for effort.

Can't dig this at all

Brilliant. Exactly what I am looking for from this list. An album that I should have listened to before.

Some fresh sounds and quite the diverse catalog from baaba Maal. fun listen.

1. lam toro - 0 2. lodo - 0 3. mudo - 1 4. zalminam - 0 5. macina - 0 6. djam - 0 7. bibe - 1 8. zehilam - 1 9. ketodee- 1 10. mayo - 1.5 11. lenol - 1 12. taara - 1

Ik kon niet echt wennen aan de stemmen/taal

Prachtige unieke Afrikaanse muziek. Erg jammer dat elk nummer nagenoeg hetzelfde was. Dat haalde de jeu er voor mij af. Dan is 1u 12 min wel lang

Eigenlijk best wel geinig om naar luisteren. Zeker niet onprettig. Eigenaardige melodieën hier en daar. Kende het nog niet maar wel de moeite waard om te luisteren

I can appreciate it but I will probably never listen to it again. Glad I did though

Another choice really off the mainstream. Probably not something I'd seek out but not a bad listen.

I'm certainly no expert on Senegalese music, so it's hard for me to judge this. To my ears, it sounds fine, but it doesn't really seem like anything that special or unique. Sort of goes in one ear and out the other. 3 stars.

Dope album

Hmmm… Like a bit of this music…

Not for me

talented musician, but not my cup of tea

Im about to travel to Senegal if the music is this fire. This was a neat listen! It’s like a look into a different culture in a way. It’s a fun listen, even if it may sound repetitive. But I don’t have a problem with that. The vocals make the instrumentals better than they already were. This one’s cool! Nice playing and all. Felt like I could appreciate more if I understood him though.

I had never heard of these artists or this album but I do like venturing into international music. It could be a bit repetitive at times but I did enjoy it. Nice cultural experience.

I had heard of Baaba Maal but can't say that I had heard anything he had done outside of the Black Panther movies. I feel like he's the first one on this list for me that I actually knew about but had never listened to. So I sort of knew what to expect with this album. It's very interesting to me to hear an artist from West Africa who was influenced by American blues, jazz, soul, and R&B which were all really based on African music in the first place. I enjoyed this album and would definitely listen to it again if I was in the right mood.

Mildly entertaining and quite repetitive. I think I liked it, but not totally sure. I’ve heard of Baaba Maal before so I assume he’s a pillar of African music. Three stars.

Kindof repetitive and while all the songs are different they blend in together. It was a little long for me. 2 stars

I'm surprised to see Baaba Maal on the list again after having listened to Lam Toro. Is his work truly prevalent enough to warrant multiple entries? If we're to compare the two, i prefer Djam Leelii to Lam Toro, but dear lord do both drag on.

Well, this is one that I didn't expect to be able to get through but I did and I'm glad I did.

Incredible album!

Baaba Maal er bara drullugóður. Rosalega notaleg tónlist.

fun facts! Senegal is home to: - a tiny car-free island made from seashells; - seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites; - Africa’s tallest statue; - rivers with killer hippopotamuses; - a pink lake. There has been work done to build a "Great Green Wall" from Senegal's capital, Dakar, to Djibouti, Djibouti. The wall is made of trees and meant to hold back expansion of the Sahara.

It ain't awful but neither is it anything special. I just felt very underwhelmed by this album as it had nothing really punching it to be that good. Felt like the same song for the whole album and not in a good way.

Another one that I didn't realize was over until much later. It's good. Not my cup, but still worth a listen.

the songs are repetitive and pretty much sound the same, and with that, the album is long. i will say that the instrumentals are really nice and sound beautiful. the music is relaxing and atmospheric, but i’m not a fan of the vocals. not the kind of album i’d listen to

Pretty good but not my thing. Was cool to read what he broke through to get where he is and what he’s done outside of that

a unique and somewhat soporific album. far too lengthy and unfocused/meandering to really stand out, but it makes for an interesting listen nevertheless.

Not bad, but not something that is quite my taste

Ungewohnt, gemütlich, gute Musiker

I feel like saying “this album is unlistenable” is pretty racist because I don’t understand a damn word😂 but I did not listen through every song nor will I ever😆 I do love Baaba Maal when he’s featured on Mumford and sons tho!

Noise.

Only listened to the 8 first tracks as the 4 remaining were part of a reissue and I did not feel like listening to more. Creative guitar work and interesting rhythm but man that is an annoying voice. Might just be cultural dissonance, but I never had a problem with the backup singers. Liked track 6 and 8 more than the rest.

sorry i didn’t like it

Delightful. I have a soft spot for guitar centric albums that do interesting things with music from different parts of the world. If you like this album then I recommend you also check out the album In the Heart of the Moon by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté.

Now here is an album that I would never think to seek out myself, and I really enjoyed it. I wish the songs weren’t quite as long and repetitive, though I understand that’s (probably?) part of the Senegalese tradition. If it were half as long it would most likely get more than 3 stars. Definitely worth a listen though, unlike some of the other albums I’ve given this rating.

This was a nice listen, but a little long and boring.

I like this. It's very enjoyable. But it doesn't stand out as an album I need to hear before I die. 3.25 stars.

Another vibe.

Kinda like African Led Zeppelin in moments. Maacino Tooro is cool 😎. Wish there were more shredders/rockers Zamrock style. EEEEeeeeee-yahhhhAhahAhah Good music for working

Pleasant enough, but overall boring. Not my style.

Interresting but not for me

The music is interesting and intriguing and I really enjoy it but I do not enjoy the vocals. I'm sure it's a cultural thing but that tone is grating to my ears.

West African folk music. Lots of interesting strings. Quiet nice!

Started off quite hopeful, with the first track sounding like a mixture between folk and world music in an interesting way. But before long it had descended into hand clapping and repetitive noises that became progressively more and more dull. I realised that I could skip the last four tracks, as they weren't part of the original recording, and by the time I was through the first half a dozen tracks I was done anyway. I listened to this on YouTube and I noticed that every song has almost an identical structure, given away by the sound shape below the video; introduction, mumbling and guitar with drums and other stuff, slowly getting more and more subdued, until a crescendo at the end to finish. Rinse and repeat, and with the language barrier all the tracks started to sound identical too. Disappointing 2 stars, but then I don't have any love for world music, so I suppose it's no real surprise.

Production is good. It sounds mysterious, but it's too repetitive for me. The songs are way too long and the riffs are very short.

There are some great melodic/instrumental hooks in these pieces, but they're hardly developed and it's easy to lose interest after the first three or so minutes of each track. And, given the five-plus-minute average length of the tracks, almost half the runtime is spent wishing the song would progress to something a little more engaging. I'm glad I listened to this album, but it's a bit too tedious for a relisten. The opening track was a highlight, if only because I didn't yet realise how thematically repetitive the future tracks would continue to be. Cool singing voice. I was a little worried I'd tire quickly of it, but I actually really enjoyed the vocals, especially when they were harmonised. 2/5

Dislike. I’ve never really liked foreign language songs because I generally want to be able to understand the lyrics. Aside from that it still wasn’t my style of music.

It was alright but I wouldn’t revisit again.

It's good music to have in the background while you work. But in this specific genre of background music, much better exists.

From a cultural perspective this might be quite interesting, but this Senegalese music is just not my taste. Interesting for once, but I won't listen to this again.

This is um…….interesting

Pleasant to listen to, but also easy to forget

I love blends of west african music with western pop music and for that I can appreciate this. However, this being (to my ears) purely African music kept it a bit boring for me. Was nice background music for reading a book but won't listen to this again.

3 1/2 *** interesting music!

Enjoyable to listen to, and definitely not something I'm used to. However it all felt too long, both the songs and the album itself.

so beautiful

Beyond bad. ZERO STARS

repetitive but not redundant… hypnotic but in a good way. not sure what any of the lyrics are (they are all in a foreign language), but the singing sounds almost like another instrument. an interesting listen, for sure.

This was rather pleasant.

This was about as weird as I figured it would be.

Was a little hard to get in to this one at work. Gonna have to give it another shot at a later time. I dug it, but it requires some serious listening that I couldn't give.

Obligatory comment about how difficult it is to truly relate to music like this due to the language barrier. With that being said, the instrumentation here is really cool. The African derivation of the instruments is blindingly obvious, but there are also several Western influences, specifically rock, that elevate the feel to be very interesting. I enjoyed the listen despite the high likelihood of not spending much more time with it.

Great find from Senegal.

what a cool album! djam leelii is an album that's unique in this project, and i so appreciate the senegalese inclusion. i'm glad i had the opportunity to listen to this album. a mark of a good album is when it's beautiful even when the lyrics are in a foreign language. sure, the vocals add something to the album, but because i'm not focusing on the lyrics (because there's no way i could understand them!), i'm able to focus more on the music. using instruments like the kora or balafon set this album apart, too.

A fantastic inclusion, and a type of African music that I was not at all aware of. It feels very ethereal, atmospheric, and spiritual, and sounds heavily inspired by Eastern music, which was quite the awesome mix to hear! The guitar work here is really relaxing, while the percussion stirs something almost tribal and ritualistic into the music, lending itself to the spiritual sound. Definitely a great addition of something I would otherwise probably never stumbled across!

Weird

just wasn't for me. Fine musically, but not something I would ever listen to.

I like West African guitar music.

Nope

I can see the appeal, but not really for me.

I liked it, haven't heard anything in that length before, just bits and pieces.

Weird, a bit too long. I like listening to other cultures music but personally it wasn’t to my taste.

Perfectly listenable, although I'm not sure if I'll ever go back to it

My musical vocabulary isn’t sophisticated enough to rate this properly. I do know musicians were excellent and the rhythms outstanding but it was an album I respected more then I loved.

1.5/5

i listened to this while cleaning the house and doing various chores and it feels like a spa. very nice vibes, calm but interesting enough to just listen to... i did feel like it got a bit tiring after a while though. would be cool if i knew what they were singing about!!

i listened to this like five times while writing and it was perfect background music. very soothing but a couple of the songs are legitimate bangers as well

Wish I could've found lyrics for more than one song, especially since it seems like songwriting is a big part of the artist's reputation! Really hypnotic and enjoyable music to have on while working- the singing and repetitive guitar consistently work together really beautifully. Makes me want to learn more about Senegalese music!

A pleasant moment but not my thing to jam out

Robert Christgau describes this album as “background music with soul”. Forgive me, but I’d prefer soulless main character theme songs.

2.5 If there was an instrumental version of the album, I'd give it a 4/5...

Yeah didn’t quite understand this one. Alright welp moving on. 1.0/10

Quite liked this one, it's always a little hit and miss with the world music suggestions on this list but this was pretty groovy. I would have guessed it was of African/Arabian origin so the fact Baaba Maal is Senegalese fits with that.

A nice, calming listen late at night. Nice guitar, good occasionally electric fuzz. Newage African chillout.

I don't think I've listened to enough music from around the world to fully appreciate this one, Senegalese musicians Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck have really made something I haven't really heard before. The guitaring in this was really the highlight for me. I don't understand the lyrics, so I can't really say too much about that. For me, I just let the vocals be another instrument, and enjoyed the experience. There are influences of Blues and Jazz here but I can't help but wonder how these songs if an Electronic artist added something here, like a sick beat would really elevate these songs. This will have to be an album I come back to when I understand world music a little better. Standouts: Muudo Hormo, Salminanam, Bibbe Leydy, Sehilam

Felt like an Adventurer when I listened to this. It was alright, but have to be in the right Muudo for this.

It's nice enough and made with enough skill, it's just not my thing at all.

Nice guitar, but repetitive

Sengalese folk music

Solid album of world music in the broadest sense, can't say I'm to psyched by it, but it is by no means bad.

I think this might finally be the album that broke my enjoyment of African albums on this list. It started out great with music in exile but since then no other album has lived up to/surpassed it and I finally felt totally fatigued by the genre with this one. It isn't objectively bad but it was just miserable for me to sit through another 70 minutes of similar sounding music even if the production was alright.

This was a bit odd and to be honest the album cover freaked me out.

Liked this a lot, there's something hypnotic and chilled about it that works for me

Reminds of me of WOMAD. I don't have the cultural knowledge to appreciate this properly, maybe. Or maybe I just need to listen in the right environment.

Afro-Islamic transcendent vibes baby! Shame it felt far too long, I got bored after 30 mins. 2.5

Some nice tunes

All of the best folk music (in my opinion) invites the audience to participate even if it's just with feeling the groove. This has that in spades. I'm not familiar enough with Sangalese music to properly rate the quality of this offering but it seems very good. I finished the entire album on a rare day I was home alone (wife took the older boys the store and the baby was napping). The repetitive rhythms became hypnotic as I was folding laundry and doing other chores. Made the time move by very fast. I'm interested in coming back to this one. Going with a 4 because I don't see myself putting this on regular rotation or highly recommending it to others but it was a very good listen.

Lame

Incredibly difficult listen. In my opinion, it's pretty ridiculous to include albums like this, that fit outside the constructs of western music on a list like this. I think if it were a list of songs - it would be much more appropriate. But for a listener growing up with an ethnocentric (using my anthropology classes here) view of pop music, it's ridiculous to expect someone to connect with over an hours worth of music such as this. I have incredibly limited knowledge of West Africa and their music, don't understand the language, and overall lack any context whatsoever of the content of this album. To try and look at this record in a positive light, I will say that it is amusing to me that I can confidently say I'm "familiar with" a West African record from the 80s, and will now recognize the name Baaba Maal. But with all that being said, a song or two would have sufficed. I don't need 80 minutes of material for that to be true.

Amazing!!

Other than being “different” I cannot understand why this album is here

7/10. I liked it, didn't have a lot of specific thoughts on it, though.

It was pretty long but honestly not too bad over its length. Felt a lot better than some of the other droning world albums we’ve had recently. 6/10

Interesting and different, didn't really catch my interest though

Really nice album, would never have thought to listen to it otherwise.

Nice guitar playing, nice vibe

not bad

I'm glad this is on here for the exposure alone. The music is transportive and brings forth world music that is often too underrepresented. The way they play and the emotion that comes out of this album is not to be underappreciated. That being said, it is a bit long winded The long song time, similarity of many songs, and simplicity of the instrumentation can cause too much of this to blend together after listening.

Not a fan

Enjoyable soulful vibes of which I have no idea

How anyone can give this sort of shit 5* is beyond me but I imagine it makes them feel more virtuous than the average person.

Decent world.music album

I tried and it was fine for a bit then it got a bit repetitive

Very melodic and hypnotic songs based around repeated guitar patterns. Quite enjoyable to listen to, although this is a lengthy album and hard to sustain interest across all 12 tracks

Great to hear something fresh!

I like the atmospheric sound it generates. Almost sounds like something out of the Civilization games. Clearly this is a deeply cultural music genre, but the album is just not good. The tracks are repetitive and the singer's voice is monotonous. There don't seem to be any sparks of creativity or invention. I got bored after the third song. Also, why is it an HOUR long? Insane. Not good.

Oh, more crappy "world music" Have fun pretending that this is good. Be sure to bring this up at your next vegan pot luck fundraiser for some fruity cause. I'm sure you'll be a hit and everyone will think you're so worldly and wonderful.

Not really my kind of music

Very relaxing and unique. Glad this one was on apple music! Reminded me of some of the musical sounds from Black Panther.

Great album! A lot of departures to Asia/Africa in the last few weeks, and this one is near the top for me. Some fantastic guitar work, blended with what I assume are more traditional Senegalese sounds and styles. Plenty of excellent tracks to get lost in. Definitely a great boost to the week with this one! Favorite tracks: Muudo Hormo, Djam Leelii, Sehilam, Ko Wone Mayo, Taara. Album art: An interesting collage of some washed-out color blocks, and a picture of a man that's made to look pretty ghostly. Is that one of the artists? No idea, but this is a cool one to look at. 4/5

I did it. Not sure how much I'll come back to it I guess, but it was a perfectly enjoyable listen. Solid 4 for now.

Crafts an atmosphere. One it can’t maintain for the somewhat bloated runtime. Having said that the instrumentation, in particular the drums, are stunning. A nice mix of some western influences from the Senegalese legend.

Always up for exploring new international genres, but man is this LP long. The sparse instrumentation does no favors when the runtime stretches out over an hour, the initial novelty wearing off quick as each track sounds quite similar.

not gonna happen

Don't what to expect here... Sounds like experimental guitar. Some Senegalese singing. Hmmm... We'll see how long I can last with this one. At times it reminds me of this song from The Natural Born Killers. Taboo. Yeah couldn't hang. Sorry Baaba and Mansour

SENEGAL!!! alussa luulee että intiaa..mutta ei... liian hyvä äänenlaatu.. these mfkers speak WOLOF.... wolofphones... top 20 jalkapallomaa... kakkostiimi AINA..AINA mm kupissa... espanja ykkönen...dogshit team...senegal kantaa.. nelosta olin antamassa mutta on vitosta annettu paskemmille albumeille (rodeohead) ja 2.77 average heh. average rating heh.... pistää niin vitun vihaksi.. tai pistäisi jos kiinnostaisi... meikä olen parempi ihiminen, ei tarvitse katella tommosia... parempi ihminen tietää objektiivisuuden. käsittämätön ääniskeippi... sielu uppoaa aavaan kitarahyrskyyn... pistää transsiin.. olisi uskomaton juna musiikki... maacina toro

Senegalesischer mäßig interessant klingender Singer-Song-Writer.

Pretty chill music by itself, but I feel no connection to this type of music as I have no African roots. I think it’s cool they got a proper chance to record their songs and bring it to the masses! 6,5 out of 10

Nice sound

Not my cup of tea

Great African music. The vibe is perfect here

somm diferente e tals, senegales, mas meio repetitivo

Very well made but not really my kinda thing personally

Once the album hit the 50-minute mark, I was getting a little tired. But the first half was ethereal, and the second half brought a ton of energy. And I can't give anything below a 4 to an album that I would inject half of into my soul.

What a nice and relaxing listen

Perfect music for a Friday morning The repetition did start to get to me a bit by the end though Favourite tracks: Lam Tooro, Muudo Hormo, Salminanam

Much liked this album in the early 90s when it was a big hit. Now it is a bit too boring to listen to in one go but the couple of fast songs are still great.

In general, I quite like the sound of music from West African countries like Senegal and Mali, and this album is no exception. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped, because the music was a little too repetitive and the vocals got a bit annoying at times.

The voice is annoying, beneath it a gentle, repetitive sound.

Sorry, can't listen to this.

Such a diverse sounding album. Some songs sound as I would expect an African music album, some sounded Brazilian or Latin of some sort, and some sounded like modern rock and pop beats. Some songs were very meditative, and the recording quality is good enough to soak up all the diverse interesting sounds, only wish I knew what he was singing.

I love to explore world music but this is a bit too much even for me

Cool blend. Kind of medieval-tavern feeling instrumentation with traditional African vocals

1.5

No.

This starts off nice enough with some repeating guitar patterns and world-music vibes, but gets old fast. Still worthy addition to this list. 2.5/5

Never heard of this album or artist before, and the music style itself is something I dont hear often (even in New York!). I like it. 4/5

I like the instrumentation, the xylophones as a counterbalance to the guitars. I think that works really well. But the vocals. I never liked that kind of style, it took me a while to get used to a few artists I like who use it in a song or two. A whole album gets tedious for me. I am glad I listened to it, it was a nice change of pace. But the vocals get tiresome to me.

The dueling guitars are awesome, particularly on the first song Lam Tooro. I absolutely loved that song from the first few plucks; the vocals fit so well, they just hum alongside the instruments. But honestly I was a bit disappointed the rest of the album didn't consistently live up to that standard. It's all melodic, even hypnotic, but the other songs didn't feel as fresh or unique by the time I got to the end of the album. I did listen to the album many times though and other standouts that really pricked up my ears were Salminanam, Sehilam, Kettojee, and Ko Wone Mayo. All in all, this was a cool album and one of those I never would've listened to otherwise but am glad I did. Almost went with a 4.

Sounds nice, no idea what they're saying. I like the guitars and the singing's fine, I just doubt I will ever go out of my way to listen again. Tracks that caught my attention: Djam Leeli, Sehalam, Daana Lenol.

Really interesting, I dig it

not bad as background music but i bet i will never listen to think about this album ever again

Very relaxing listen. Not my thing to listen to again, but it's melodies were soothing to listen to.

There is something so hypnotic about this album, a steadiness to the rhythm and voices. Wholly different than the other Baaba Maal album we got a few days ago, but equally interesting and appreciated.

Very droning and mesmerizing. Missing a key feature, but overall good.

Really good start, got a bit weaker towards the end

some good backround music

Didnt like the vocal performance and the instrumentals were dull

Je sens le sable chaud sous mes pieds, et les rayons du soleil caresser mon visage

encore un cadeau pour la daronne

I will preface this review by saying I am still relatively early into my journey into "World Music". Also, I really hate the term "world music". It seems really dismissive of other genres/subgenres that exist in other parts of the world. There could be two albums that fall under the "world music" category yet sound completely different and come from completely different geographic places. Anyway, I digress. I think one of the major drawing points of this record is the time period it was released in. Obviously now with the internet, it is much easier to find music from other parts of the world. However, in the early 80s, I'd assume it was much harder. This would be many listeners' (including my own) first contact with music from Senegal. This record mainly consists of acoustic finger-picking style guitar accompanied by assorted percussive instruments including different styles of hand drums and shakers. Many of the songs tend to stay within the same chord progression, which may be a bit boring to some listeners. I find it has a meditative, almost psychedelic quality. The guitar playing seems to be heavily influenced by the blues with repeating rhythms and jams. The vocals are a bit "nasaly" and the key might be a bit off-putting to many western listeners. It didn't really bother me at all. One thing I will say is that this album is very long. It clocks in at about 1 hour 12 mins. The average song length is about 6 mins. It can be a bit exhausting to listen to at times, but I suggest for you to sit back, relax, and let the hypnotic guitar rhythms take you away....

I couldn't listen to this. It was too depressing and monotone

I greatly enjoyed this. I suspect you have to be in the right mood for it, but I found myself to be in the right mood twice 12 hours apart. Repetitive and hypnotic, but I consider that to be a positive. A very strong 4/5.

it's not bad but i don't really find any value in it. like, i'm never going to listen to this again, not because i don't like it but just because like. i honestly don't even feel anything listening to this. actually yes i do it's quite boring...

Not quite in the "desert-rock" genre where the rhythms are absoulutely relentless. This is more "desert-folk" I guess, it's softer, kinder, certainly more relaxed. More at home next to a river than a sandstone mountain in the blistering heat

V interesting, not my usual thing but I did enjoy it

I certainly respect this music, but I didn't really enjoy it very much. The repeating guitar phrases and nasal voices just kind of went on for a long, long time. That said, I was glad to have something like this to experience in the collection.

This one suited me well today. The rhythms held steady and the instrumentation was kind of soothing.

Soothing, repetitive rhythms and lyrics I couldn't understand made for a nicely meditative listening experience today.

Hypnotic. I lay in bed with this on the headphones and was somewhere else. This is the kind of thing I’d never have encountered but for this project.

Atmospheric

Yeah it’s nice.makes good background music.it’s nice to hear music from other cultures.Not much more to say really.songs are a bit too long and not very memorable but there’s cool instrumentation in there.

absolutely beautiful favorite track was probably Maacina Tooro, but the whole album is just so wonderful 10/10

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

Stupendous.

This just kept getting better every song. I had no idea what to expect with this, but what a chill, soulful album. Long but passed quick. Solid 4

Like the last album of his I got, it’s not bad at all but it’s very repetitive. Fine as mood or background music, but it really didn’t hold my attention.

Ugh accidentally posted this review under Pere Ubu. Baaba Maal is a 4 Pere Ubu is a 2 Here’s the Pere Ubu review: This was pretty challenging. I actually think instrumentally it was a lot better than some of the other experimental stuff we listened too like sonic youth. I couldn’t stand the vocals though it ruined it for me. 2

Unsure how to rate this, but I liked it better than the last few 3’s so giving it a 4 Obviously I have no idea what they’re saying, but the recording sounds really great. The drone-y repetitive grooves make it kind of meditative. Ko wone mayo is really cool and sounds a little different from the rest. The vocals (and instruments) sound a little more Carnatic than some other west African music I’ve heard.

I love that this is an album I wouldn’t have listened to otherwise. I imagine this would be cool live. I don’t think I would listen to this again. By the end of the album, I was a bit bored

Perfectly fine, but not my thing. Maybe for a cool spot.

Eventuell ein ganz klein wenig einschläfernd, aber doch nie langweilig und immer hoch musikalisch.

I have a very limited knowledge of any African music beyond Burna Boy, Tems and Fela so I had never heard of Baaba Maal until his album Lam Toro was generated for me a few weeks ago and I never got around to Lam Toro but I am now glad I didn't because I can now listen to Baaba's albums in order. With all that being said this album was really good. Despite not understanding the lyrics the other aspects of the songs were really good. The production and instrumentation were really enjoyable and I felt like this album had really good atmosphere. Similar to a lot of African music that I have listened to there is a lot of repeated lines as well as call and response and this at times can go a little to far and become somewhat annoying but I really only felt that on one or two tracks. Also as a side note the backup singers throughout the album sounded so good especially on "Djam Leelii". Either way this is a very solid 9/10 for me and I definitely can see myself coming back to this album.

# 24 : Plucky guitar with African (Senegal) lyrics. Sounded pleasant. Same whiny old songs throughout. Too long and repetative for me. Cool sound though.

Senegalese music, enjoyable. I do think the album is probably 20 mins too long, but everything seems to be of a similar standard. No tracks specifically stood out, but the general vibe was good. Alot of great chanting backing vocals. Safe THREE

I appreciate it for what it is but it just isn’t quite for me. There is some fun guitar work but the vocals are just droning for me and the whole thing gets repetitive after a while.

It's nice to have music from different countries. This is very ambient and chill to me as someone who can't understand a word of what is being sung. Although the instrumentation is not super complex it is still done in a way that is appealing to the listener. Not something I would willingly listen to again, but not something I would be upset about if it was on somewhere. This is a low 3/5

Hypnotic and brilliant in its execution. I feel silly that this music exists but I never exposed myself to it. Joyous

I would probably like more if 1) I could understand the lyrics 2) it wasn't so repetitive and Islamic prayer influenced sounding but 3) respect to him just not my thing

I don’t really know enough about this type of music to fairly rate it Sounded fine though

Don't like it

Cool! en repetitief

I really like this album. Hadn't heard of the artists nor heard any of their work, and it's very well done. I like the blend of influences and cultures on it, and the performances are excellent.

Nice sound but extremely repetitive

C'est cool d'entendre enfin de la musique d'ailleurs, mais l'album reste quand même très long et répétitif

It’s like Spanish Jamaican African music.

Interesting and uplifting in some way. Have no idea what they are singing but I feel it is a spiritual and positive message. Loved this exposure to something so off the beaten path.

I had Baaba Maal's album Lam Toro recently and liked it, but I can't remember now what it sounded like. I liked this, too. I think the guitar gave it a more familiar and accessible feel for western audiences. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again but it was pleasant.

Not bad but was all a bit same same

Weirdly hypnotic in a bad way

not bad at all

No, absolutely not for me in any way, not even for a review..... aww c'mon, don't be a dick... 1001 Albums has said this is good and to review it.... trust them, its gonna be awesome? So, dare I listen to this... OK I'll give it a go.... I got a quarter of the first track and it was just too much for my wee head to endure. Nothing against the artist or his native origins that influence the sounds he creates, but it just not something I'd ever want to listen to. OK, maybe I'm being harsh, let's go through the rest of them and sure I can skip if it's not a great track..... ... hold on a minute, they're all the bloody same.... a few strums of sitar sounding instrument and then mournful wailing because his granny's cat died ..... no, this one's defo not for me.

Loved this! Unique, authentic, catchy.

Really innovative guitar and a cool different sound

Was interesting..

Voor Bas, een twee omdat hij hem zo goed vond

Struggled to give this one two stars

Not my thing ‘at all’. Two chords and wailing.

Its an afro-islamic styling on some mid tempo stripped down world music. its cool i don't think it stirs enough in me to give it more than a three though. I really like the track Taara, glad i dug for it.

Redelijk traditioneel klinkende Afrikaanse muziek, met een westers klinkend gitaartje er onder. Ik kon het wel smaken

This album was entrancing and wonderful. What studio production and electronic additions there are, such as on Daane Lenol, are sparing and don’t get in the way of the songs themselves. Really cool syncopation between the guitars, throughout.

black panther guy

This album has nice, relaxing instruments in the background, but I cannot get past that singing. It makes me wish it was just the backing track most of the time. That and way shorter. Didn't like this, but I can't say I hate it.

it was exciting, i liked that, but i probably won't play it again

I'm sure that on the world music stage, this is absolutely iconic. Unfortunately, it's just not for me.

2/5. Some fun songs but nothing super interesting, many sound quite similar and it drags on at points.

I think just calling this "worldbeat" (as Wikipedia does) is kind of a disservice. I feel like the prevailing sounds kind of point me towards blues, and maybe even some neoclassical stuff. That being said, once he finds a chord progression, it never seems to change too much, and these songs are waaaay too long just to have one chord progression. Makes the whole experience a bit meditative. Favorite track: "Djam Leelii"

Decent musically, but pretty repetitive. Some decent rhythms though.

3.5

Excellent album and some very welcome World variety. Expertly performed guitar compositions, a beyond enjoyable listening experience.

I think I can safely say that this album was my first exposure to Senegalese music. And it was a good listen, particularly for a busy day at work. The intermingling guitars were semi-repetitive, in a way that allowed me to zone out and focus on my work. But the melodies were very pleasant. And the xylophones on "Taara" were joyful and cute and lovely. The instrumentation in general was quite nice, even if the vocals were sort of grating -- my fault, as I don't speak the language, so it was just noise to me. My only other complaint is that the album is a little on the longer side, but I'd by lying if I said I noticed on this listen. Probably a 3.5 if I'm being honest, but I'll round up. A good atmospheric listen.

The band was so good, this was so beautiful at times. Very chill, would definitely work as a bbq background album. Vocals were good, it did drone on at times but this was a good vibe. 3.5 stars